The manufacturing industry is one part of the U.S. economy that’s generating virtually no worries. Auto sales have repeatedly set new postrecession highs and most industries are experiencing their fastest growth in several years despite lackluster performance in key export markets such as Europe.

March and April sure look a lot different than January and February. Most economic indicators have perked up in the early spring and that’s no surprise: the weather is a lot better. And a bevy of reports on Thursday is expected to underscore the “spring snapback” theme.

The number of Americans filing for first-time unemployment benefits will likely posted a slight gain in the latest weekly data, but remain near the slowest pace in almost seven years, according to economists polled by MarketWatch.